Back Home
by ProfTweety
Summary: They knew they'd have to see each other eventually; that was a given. But now that it was about to happen, the realization set in of what had to be done. {Roslin & Adama reunite after New Caprica}


_**Back Home**_

 **Disclaimer** : I own nothing related to _Battlestar Gallactica_.

 **A/N** : They knew they'd have to see each other eventually; that was a given. But now that it was about to happen, the realization set in of what had to be done.

 **A/N2** : For _BostonGal_ who wanted to read about Roslin and Adama seeing one another after she returned from New Caprica.

 **A/N3** : _Enjoy_! Please leave a _review_ if y'all's feel so inclined. They are ever so lovely to read and _much_ appreciated. # **TodayIsLife**

~~~~~PT~~~~~

The relief was palpable as Admiral Adama watched the members of his _family_ come back to Galactica. As Colonel Tigh stepped off without Ellen, he congratulated him for bringing them home. " _Not all of them_ ," was his sad, gruff reply. No Ellen, only one eye; his friend had been through hell and back during the Cylon occupation of New Caprica. He heard his people chanting his name and happily participated in the celebration as Tigh walked off sadly by himself. In the back of his mind, Adama knew he hadn't seen everyone who had returned. There was one who would be left for later, maybe even for another day.

As she walked around Colonial One, readjusting to being on the ship, she sighed. Tory looked at her and asked if she was all right. "I feel like we should sanitize the whole place," she responded with a grimace and a shiver. Her assistant laughed; it was a genuine laugh for the first time in a long time. The stress from the last four months needed to be released and Laura Roslin joined in until they both had tears in their eyes. So much had happened on New Caprica; fear from the Cylons, caution while resisting, grief for the loss of so many souls Baltar didn't care to remember on her white board. They needed the release of laughter and tears and everything in between. They were safe though because Adama had come back, just as she always believed he would.

That night as she prepared for bed, she cringed at the thought of how Baltar had spent the days and nights of his presidency. Once settled in as well as she could be, Laura reached for the phone and called Bill.

"I knew you'd be busy," she greeted.

"Never too busy for you," he answered with all honesty. They had shared so much on New Caprica but things had to go back to the way they were before she'd relocated. That comment showed she was on the same page he was.

"I didn't want to interrupt the celebrations." It was true, she didn't. She also didn't want to be the former President vying for time with the Admiral. Their reunion should just be the two of them.

"People are happy to be back," he acknowledged.

"After what we went through on New Caprica -." She stopped herself. He had jumped away; he didn't yet know all that occurred down there. He would though, in time, she was sure. She tried a different route, trying not to cause regret or guilt to build within him. Not that he did either publicly but she knew better; she knew with her he did. "My skin is crawling," she giggled. "I keep thinking about what Baltar did here and I'm itchy."

"I'll take care of it," he promised on a laugh. "Dinner tomorrow, Madame President?" He wanted to see her and he wanted her to himself.

"I'll be there, Admiral." She hesitated but pushed ahead. "I'm still just a teacher, Bill."

"I'll see you tomorrow, Laura. Sleep well."

She wished him the same and snuggled into the blankets. Pushing all thoughts of what was done in that bed aside, she recalled the times she and Bill were free to be themselves on New Caprica. There were no titles, no expectations; they were just two people enjoying each other's company. Two people who became so much closer than they would've ever guessed possible after that first meeting on Galactica.

By the time she was about to arrive at his quarters, butterflies had settled in her stomach. They knew they'd have to see each other eventually; that was a given. But now that it was about to happen, the realization set in of what had to be done.

He was doing no better; pacing, recalling their time together, wondering what it'd be like to fall back in the old routine after they had grown so much closer on New Caprica. She was still just a teacher but Baltar hadn't returned and Tom Zarek was now President. For reasons beyond his understanding, Zarek seemed to be intrigued by Roslin and Adama wondered where that might lead.

The hatch scraping open caught his attention. He'd asked her to arrive before their dinner did to ensure they had time to talk and readjust. His Marines knew to just let her in and that he expected no one else to visit. The message was clear; he didn't want to be interrupted barring an emergency. As he watched her lock the hatch, he knew she wanted uninterrupted time with him as well.

"Welcome back, Laura," he greeted. His tone was soft, smooth even. He was glad to see her in one piece, unscathed from the atrocities she most surely had encountered.

"It's good to be back, Bill," she smiled as she spoke. It was true. It was good to be back amongst the safety of the fleet, back in the vicinity of her dear friend standing before her.

The tension began to build. Neither knew in that instant how to break it until she moved towards him, wrapped her arms around him and whispered, "it's good to see you."

"Same here," he murmured back and held her tighter. "You're safe." He meant it as comfort but it came out as if he was surprised to see her looking so well. "You're home."

She hummed. _Home_. She'd have to get back to that idea. "I knew you'd come back," she said as she kissed his shoulder and snuggled closer. "I understood why you left but I knew you'd come back."

It was something he'd wondered about; whether she would understand his actions, whether she could forgive all she must've gone through while he was running away to safety until he couldn't live with himself anymore. "I wasn't sure," was all he could manage so he kissed the side of her head, hoping she took it as a complete thought.

"I never doubted it," she whispered then kissed his neck. They were entering dangerous territory but maybe they had to go back there to move forward.

His hand was in her hair now so she kissed his neck again. He turned and, without thinking, she covered his lips with her own. Though they knew better, they allowed themselves this last chance to get lost in one another.

Moving apart, she saw all the emotions cross his features she knew he'd want to hide. His smile: glad she was safe, happy to kiss her again but sad the kiss also signified an ending. His eyes: sadness, desire and joy mixed together to form the shadows hovering over them. His arms: still holding her close to him, not wanting to let go just yet, if ever. His hands: one still in her hair, bringing back memories of how it felt as it brushed his bare skin; the other spread across her back, reminding him of happier times when he could freely touch her.

She was an open book when he looked at her. So happy to be alive and safe; wanting to be _just a teacher_ with him once more but knowing it shouldn't happen. When the sadness entered her expression, he pulled her back to him knowing that's what she needed right then.

Back to normal be damned in that moment because, truth be told, neither was ready to let go just yet. Back to normal could wait a little longer.

"What we became, Bill, what we were becoming, it's over." Her voice held the sadness her heart felt and the uncertainty her mind was experiencing.

"It has to be, Laura," he squeezed her as he spoke. "New Caprica is gone." He knew he felt more for her than he'd admitted, felt more than he was ready to admit to himself but he also knew going back to the way they were before wouldn't be as easy as he'd hoped. It would be hard not to hold her, not to kiss her when they were alone. Even more difficult to see her upset and be unsure how to comfort her without crossing this new line they had to create.

"We can never fully go back to the way it was before, Bill." Her voice was soft; it sounded to him as if her breaths were becoming ragged, tinged with a sadness for the loss of what was. When he tried to look at her, she asked him not to. He did anyway. "Ignore them," she whispered, meaning the tears formed in her eyes, ready to spill over.

"No," he rasped as he wiped at the first one to drop. "No," he repeated as she tried to turn her head away, to shield her pain from him. "Never, Laura," as he covered her mouth with his own, his tongue gaining entrance immediately. It was a languid kiss, slow and lazy yet filled with a passion no longer allowed.

This time when they parted, she moved from his arms and walked towards his couch. Following her lead, he sat next to her, close enough to be friends but not so close that he'd remind either of them of their time on New Caprica.

"Tom knows you won't work with him." And there it was. Their back to normal had begun.

"He's a terrorist," he spat out. The transition was now complete for both of them.

Her hand reached out for him; she followed through on her action and let it land on his forearm. "Are we still allowed to do this?"

Her hesitancy hurt him to the core. "Always." It was all he could say.

They wouldn't completely give up the gains they had made during his visits with her on New Caprica. Some things had to be pushed back, pushed away, but not _all_ of them. Neither could do that anyway.

"Tom Zarek," she began but was interrupted by the sound of the Officer bringing their food.

"Dinner," he announced. When the Officer left, he took her hand and led her over to the table. "I heard you were detained." There was no good way to bring it up, no good way to ask about it or let her know he knew.

"I was detained and questioned, end of story." The smile she forced didn't make the statement more believable.

"Saul -," he began but she cut him off.

"Colonel Tigh was the leader of the Resistance and was tortured for months." She placed her hand over his. "They took my glasses and shoes. They gave me a detainee's jumpsuit to wear. They asked questions I couldn't answer because I wasn't a part of the planning. When I couldn't say I agreed with the suicide bombing, Baltar let me go."

"You have your principles, Laura," he admitted with a grin.

He sounded proud and when she smiled at him, he looked it. "As do you, Bill," she responded softly.

It was a start. They'd have to get comfortable with their new routine but both knew they would. They _had_ to. As he said, she was back home. She'd still have to think about that idea though.

[ **The End** ]


End file.
